A total of 801 documentaries from 283 universities of 46 countries and regions competed in the 6th Next Wave Awards International Student Documentary Competition, which opened in Guangzhou on Dec 8, setting a new standard in quality and quantity compared to previous years.

Hosted by the organizing committee of the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, the competition was undertaken by South China University of Technology. This year's competition has attracted competitors from outstanding universities at home and abroad, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, University of Oxford, and University of California, Los Angeles.

Seven awards will be announced on Dec 11, including the best feature-length documentary, the best documentary short film, and the most creative documentary.

The main activities of this year's event, lasting from Dec 7 to 14, is expected to include a variety of events themed around documentaries of universities to promote universities' cultural brands and offer more interesting ways for youths to learn more about documentaries.

Industry giants and outstanding documentary education experts will also be invited to carry out face-to-face communication with students on campus.

The organizing committee of the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival said that they hope the event can cultivate more young talents in documentary making with both international vision and market orientation.